The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
An internal combustion engine typically includes a fuel system and a separate cooling system. The fuel system typically includes a fuel tank configured to hold a fuel, such as diesel, or gasoline for example, a fuel pump, and a fuel delivery device, such as a fuel injector for example. The fuel pump pumps the fuel from the fuel tank to the fuel delivery device. The fuel delivery device controls the timing and amount of fuel supplied either directly to the combustion chamber of the piston engine or to a flow of air before the air enters the combustion chamber. The air-fuel mixture is then compressed and ignited within the combustion chamber to move the piston and do work, such as turn a crankshaft for example. The fuel received from the fuel tank is typically relatively cold in relation to the boiling point of the fuel. Accordingly, a considerable amount of energy is required to vaporize and combust the relatively cold fuel.
The cooling system typically includes a coolant pump, a heat exchanger, a reservoir, and a series of passages within the engine block. The coolant pump pumps a coolant fluid from the reservoir through the passages in the engine block where the coolant fluid absorbs heat from the engine block. The heated coolant fluid then passes through the heat exchanger to expel heat from the coolant fluid to the atmosphere or another fluid in contact with the heat exchanger. The coolant fluid then returns again to the passages in the engine block. The coolant fluid typically continues endlessly along this cycle. The coolant fluid is a fluid, such as water or a refrigerant for example, that is distinctly different from the fuel burned in the combustion chamber and remains entirely separate from the fuel system and the combustion chamber. Cooling systems can be costly, complex, and can add to the size and weight of the piston engine.